By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The State Police Complaints Authority in Uttarakhand has directed the government to initiate “disciplinary proceedings” against former Pithoragarh Superintendent of Police (SP) Lokeshwar Singh for allegedly assaulting a citizen.
The authority found Singh, who quit his job to take a key position in the United Nations, guilty of “stripping, assaulting, and detaining complainant (Laxmi Dutt Joshi) for a considerable period” when he was serving as the SP Pithoragarh district.
In its recommendation issued on the alleged assault incident of February 6, 2023, the authority also directed the state government to inform it what “action” was being taken against Singh.
The authority issued these directions in a case filed by Joshi, an RTI activist, who alleged that Singh and his subordinates assaulted him, causing him serious injuries, when he went to complain about sewage overflowing onto the road near the Pithoragarh police lines.
The authority’s bench, headed by Justice NS Dhanik, made these recommendations on Tuesday (December 9, 2025) after a thorough probe.
During the hearing, Singh a former IPS officer, denied the allegations of assault through an affidavit. Singh claimed that Joshi was a criminal and had been called for questioning on February 6, 2023 in connection with a case of vehicle arson. However, Singh failed to provide any evidence to refute the allegations against him, the authority found.
Joshi claimed that Singh had harboured a grudge against him over an incident in Champawat in 2021. Joshi told the authority that “It all started in February 2021 in Champawat when I went to the state Jal Nigam (water supply) office regarding a drinking water problem faced by my parents who live there. I took pictures of the employees who were sitting there drunk.”
He further stated that the employees, angered by the photographs, called the police, and at the behest of the then Superintendent of Police of Champawat, Lokeshwar Singh, cases were registered against him under several serious sections, including the Goonda Act, for obstructing government work.
Two years later, Joshi said since his house is near the Pithoragarh Police Lines, he had lodged a complaint with the police about sewage from the police quarters flowing openly onto the streets. He said that after no action was taken on his complaint, he went to the Superintendent of Police’s office, where Lokkeshwar Singh, who was the then SP, became angry upon seeing him and started verbally abusing him.
Joshi alleged that Lokkeshwar Singh ordered the police officers present to slap him. He claimed that his glasses were also broken in the process. After that, the Superintendent of Police made him undress and then assaulted him, Joshi further alleged in his complaint.
He said that since he is an RTI activist, he called his colleagues, and after their intervention, he was released in the evening. Joshi further claimed that from there he went to the district hospital for a medical examination, where doctors confirmed that his injuries were less than 24 hours old, confirming that they were caused by the police beating.
Joshi said that he had filed a complaint against Singh with top police officials and had also informed them about the incident but no action was taken.
While expressing satisfaction with the authority’s decision, Joshi said that during this struggle for justice, his shop had to be closed, he had to sell his house, and his daughter fell ill.
On the other hand, Singh resigned from his job in October this year after being selected for an important position at the United Nations. At the time of his resignation, Singh was serving as the Superintendent of Police in Pauri.